Helmston

Small vegetarian takeaway near the station and the Laines. Makes baked goods using low-gluten and gluten-free flour, and all cakes are vegan. Meals are made to order so if you ask, the kitchen will veganize a dish or cater to a food allergy or intolerance. Breakfast dishes include pancakes and gado gado, while lunch might be a thali-style lunchbox or spelt-base pizza to go. Everything is soy-free. Open Tue-Sat 8:00am-4:00pm.

6 Reviews

Today was my second visit in this Awesome place. Andy the owner is one of the nicest people you will meet, he is very good at what he does, and will make sure you will leave happy and full!
I started to eat vegan few weeks back, and after trying Andy's wonderful food I'm super happy I did! I thought becoming vegan will be hard, but after eating breakfast at Helmston I know vegan can be so delicious! I hope to be half as good cook as Andy so I can keep this healthy way of life and enjoy my food!
I'll keep coming for more and I hope you all will bless Andy by coming and visiting him. He has a great thing going on there and I wish him much success! Many thanks!

Helmston is a wonderful little cafe, tucked away just off Trafalgar Street. They serve truly beautiful, colourful, hearty food, and the atmosphere in there is second to none.

I tried the hemp milkshake and was blown away - I've never tasted anything like it and will back for another very soon.

The chef's ingenious baked creations are also something to behold - and taste just as gorgeous as they look. Mango & chocolate cakes and orange & hazelnut meringues are just a couple I sampled and can thoroughly recommend.

The mains are just as glorious and are reasonably priced, with very generous portions. The bhaji box I ordered came with all the trimmings, and again, looked and tasted equally lovely.

There's no meat served and a lot of the dishes are vegan and wheat free. There is also a shelf or two of conscientiously sourced ingredients available to purchase.

There's a real sense that the chef has a deep knowledge of his ingredients and the food he's creating - as well as some cracking whistling skills. The waiter was warm and attentive and made for an altogether lovely lunch experience.

I am amazed there aren't queues permanently around the block for this place, especially in health-conscious Brighton. The food is out-of-this-world delicious. It's literally a taste sensation; the kind of food that makes you pause after a bite because you get hit with such flavours. And the cakes! OMG the cakes!!!! They are indescribably good! On another level! This is my favourite eaterie in Brighton. It's an absolute hidden gem. Best of all, it's all healthy - REALLY healthy - not some naff marketing ploy kind of healthy. The owner/chef seems extremely knowledgeable and devoted to his food whenever he pokes his head out of the kitchen. He seems to live back there, which I guess is the right place for a chef.
The only sad thing is that it's blooming tiny. On the upside, there is always room when I go in for a nosh :)

wow,great to find vegetarian food that isn't deep fried ,doesn't contain wheat or cheese and toxic unfermented soy products,we came with 4 of our friends for breakfast/lunch so we were lucky enough to try most of the menue on offer,,even the coffee was top notch and one of the best selection of cakes and bakes i have seen in brighton,,we all fell in love with this compact and bijou little tuck shop,
cant wait to come back so thank you helmstoners for a great culinary experience ,xxx

Pros: exceptional, the gago gado yum yum with eggs, quality down to the water served

Lovely vegan food options (I had an Indonesian style salad that was really tasty and filling for £5) and really friendly staff. They have lots of other things I haven't had the chance to try yet, like a vegan pizza style pastry. Would definitely recommend.

Very small seating area (I ended up sharing the only table with the (very nice and friendly!) chef on his lunch break), so you might end up having to take away if there are a few of you and it's busy.